To all my dental wife friends (and I have many, so I expect lots of response!) ....
Ask your dentist husbands their opinion if they think the sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) found in most toothpastes can cause canker sores.
Leland gets canker sores very often. They come and go in different places in her mouth. They are very painful for her. If one is pretty bad, she often won't finish her meal and sometimes eats in tears. It's very sad.
I have been doing research on the possible causes of her recurrent canker sores. I have not been able to find a pattern of any of the typical foods that cause canker sores, citrus fruits and gluten products. Chuck and his mother get canker sores after eating walnuts, but no other nut.
All the information I found listed SLS toothpastes and mouthwashes as a possible cause, so the first thing I am going to try to cut out is toothpaste with SLS. I have yet to look for some, that is my goal for tomorrow. SLS is the foaming agent found in toothpaste, so it might be hard to find a SLS free toothpaste that would be good for a 3 year old.
If anyone has any other ideas for possible causes, let me know. Her doctor has just suggested eliminating things from her diet to try to find a cause.
